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DONATIONS TO THE PEOPLE OP BOSTON 
SUFFERING UNDER THE PORT-BILL. 



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DONATIONS TO THE PEOPLE OF BOSTON 
SUFFERING UNDER THE PORT-BILL. 



Communicated to the Historical and Genealogical Register for July, 1876, 
by Albert H. Hoyt, A.M., and reprinted from that number. 



THE statute of the 14th of George HI., commonly styled the 
"Boston Port-Bill" (entitled "An Act to discontinue, in such 
manner, and for such time, as are therein mentioned, the landing 
and discharging, the lading or shipping of goods, wares, merchan- 
dise, at the town, and within the harbour of Boston, in the Province 
of Massachusetts Bay"), was, as is well known, rapidly forced through 
the British Parliament, in the month of March, 1774. It was ex- 
pressly designed to punish the people of Boston for their " unlawful 
resistance" to the tax on importations of tea, and to coerce the 
Province into submission to the authority of the Crown and the laws 
of Parliament. "If you pass this Act with tolerable unanimity," 
said Lord Mansfield, " Boston will submit, and all will end in a vic- 
tory without carnage." If Boston and Massachusetts are compelled 
to submit, so argued the advocates of this measure, all the other 
colonies will submit. 

The Act went into effect at twelve o'clock on the first of June, 
1774, and before the middle of August, all trade, foreign and coast- 
wise, was cut off. Business of nearly every sort was soon paralyzed, 
and great suffering ensued. 



The history of the distress of the people of Boston, caused by this 
Act of Parliament, has been written so often and so fully detailed 
that its repetition here and now would be supei-fluous. 

The tidings of these sufferings penetrated every town, village, 
and hamlet throughout the colonies, and prompted generous offers 
of relief. The Committee of Donations kept records of their receipts 
and disbursements, which are still preserved in the archives of the 
city. By the courtesy of Samuel F. McCleary, Esq., the city clerk, 
whose ancestors were among the victims of the Boston Port-Bill, 
we have been permitted to make abstracts of these records. 

Beyond their special historic interest, these records hare a value 
as showing the character of the principal productions of the several 
colonies at that time, and the extent to which they were able to part 
with their surplus stores. 

The book from which the following abstracts were taken has the 
following introductory certificate : 

Boston, July 18, 1778. 
I certify that this Book contains a True Copy of the Account of all the Donations 
Received by the Committee appointed by the Town of Boston, to receive the Generous 
Benefactions of the Sister Colonies, for the Relief and Support of the Inhabitants of 
the Towns of Boston and Charlestown, suffering by the operation of that Cruel Act 
of the British Parliament, commonly called the Boston Port Bill. 

By order of the Committee of Donations, 

Alex' Hodgdon, Clerk. 



Donations received from the Province of the Massachusetts Bay. 

1774. 

July 5. Wrentham 19^ bush. Rye, llf Corn 

" Groton 21 " " 20^ " 

7. Pepperrell 24 " " 17f " 

20. Charlemont 2 bbls. flour 

22. Shrewsbury £6 : 2s : 6 

« Beverly 14 : 2 : 1 

30. Lenox 3 : 17 : 0^ 

Aufr. 2. Marblehead 224 quintals of fish, 53 gals, oil, £39 : 5 : 3. 

3. Brookfield 8 J rye, 10 com. 

Sept. 8. Old York, fr. Josh" & Sami gewall, £2:16:0 

" Concord, fr. John Beaton, £3:0:0 

27. Chelmsford, 40 rye 

Oct. 10. Berwick, 26 sheep, 6 oxen. 

20. Middleborough 51 Rye, 30 Corn 

24. Old York 106 potatoes, 57 sheep, 4 qtls. fish, 23 cords of wood, 

£1 : 4s. 

26. Newbury Falls fr. Samuel Moody, schoolmaster, £7:0:0 

Nov. 26. Petersham fr. Silvanus How, 11 quarters mutton 

" Belchertown, fr. Josh* Boydell & W" Clark, 2 bshla. wheat 

« Rehoboth, 88sheep, £14:8 : 9 

30. Pittsfield (Joseph Easton r2s.) £6 : 12 : 

" Medfield, 132 lbs pork, 402 lbs. cheese, 22 cart loads wood. 

Dec. 4. No. Yarmouth, 43 cords of wood 



14. Union Fire Club at Salem Cconsisting of 19 members) £40 : : 
28. Cambridge, fr. David Hoar, ten lbs. Balm & ten lbs. Sage. 
" Unknown £l : 16 : 
1775 
Jan. 2. Salem, Dea° Whitaker's parish, £24 : 16 : 8 

3. Rutland Dist. Co. of Worcester, fr. CoP Nathan Sparhaw, 

593 lbs. beef. 
" Dorchester, fr. Capt. Lem' Robertson, 160 lbs. beef 
" Braintree, 25 Carcasses. 

4. Welfleet, £40 

" Eastham, South, £3. 13. 6 

" Billerica, 48| rye, 2i corn, £5. 7. Of 

" Westford, 34^ rye, 6 corn 

9. Salem, Rev. Mr. Dimon's parish, £87. 1. 
10. Lexington, 61 cart loads of wood (with the Flagg), £3. 11.6 
12. Reading, First and Third parishes, 1 bush, rye, 7 lbs. pork, 26 

cart loads of wood, £1.8. 
14. Salem, Rev. Mr. Dimon's parish, £3. 19 
" Dorchester, 25 cords wood, 3 pr. men's and 2 pr. boy's shoes. 
" Stoughton, 1 7 loads of wood. 
18. Temple, 40 bush. rye. 

20. West Springfield, 23 hogs. 

21. Barnstable, West, £7. 9. 4— including 16 shillings collected of 

the Marshpee Indians. 

23. Do. East, £12. 10. 8. 

" Salem, No. Society— Rev. Mr. Barnard, £45. 
Manchester, £28. 0. 7 J 

24. Rehoboth, 59 lbs. flax (James Allyne, 8 ; Joseph Allyne, 24; 

Josiah Cushing, 12; Abuer Allyne, 12; Jacob Cushing, 3 ; 
Sam^ Allyne, 12.) 
Salem, Rev'' Mr. Barnard & Dunbar's Society, £114 : 9. 0^ 
28. Attleborough, £33. 10. 7^ 

30. Falmouth, Casco Bay, 5l| cords wood. 
" Cape Elizabeth, 44^ cords wood. 

31. Danvers, £13. 13. 6 
" Welfleet, £7. 10. 8 

Feb. 2. Yarmouth, East precinct, £7. 4. 4. 

3. Newburyport, £202. 10. 2 
" Kittery, £41. 3. 5 

" Middletou, £22. 9. 1. 

" Rehoboth, Rev. Ephm. Hoit's, £6. 0. 2. 

do Rev. Robert Rogerson's, £2. 6. 3 

4. Berwick, South, £11. 6. 8. 
" do North, £2. 2 

" Eastham, 52^ bush, corn, £0. 8. 
6. Biddeford, Joseph Morrill, £0. 12. 
" Southborough, £5. 0. 9 
" Newbury, Rev. John Tucker's, £46. 4. 2 
" do Rev. Moses Parson's, £10. 16. 4. 

" do Rev. Oliver Noble's, £9. 0. 6 

" Truro, £11. 16. 21 
" Scarborough, £11. 4. 3 
1* 



7. George Town, First, £22. 14. 4 

" Sturbridge, Capt. Eben^ Crafts, £0. 12. 
" " Joseph Peirce, £0. 5. 4 

do Nath' Walker, Jr. £0. 3. 

" Beverly, £31. 9. 10 and goods estimated at £41. 10. 4.= 

£73. 0. 2 

8. Brookfield, 9 bush. rye. 

" Greenwich, 10 bush, rye, 2^ corn. 

9. Sandisfield, £7. 10. 
" Wells, £9. 1: 1. 

" Mendon, 208 lbs. cheese, 50 flax. 

" Marlborough, by Joseph Howe, who subscribed 40 shillings 

toward purch'sg, 334 lbs. beef. 
" Paxton, 1 1 bush, rye, 9 corn, 2| malt. 
" Wells, 26| cords wood. 

15. Brookfield, 19 bush. corn. 

Northborough 6^ bush, wheat, 51^ rye, 15^ corn, Gl lbs. pork, 

3G lbs. cheese, G^ malt, £10. 19. 4. 
" Milton, 24 cords wood. 
" Littleton, 2G| bush, rye, (collected by Mr. R. Harris, who gave 

the carting of 6^, and Messrs Bennett & Jn° Wood who gave 

the carting of 20 bushels), 1 check Handkerchief, J lb. pink 

flowers, £4. 3. O.J 

16. Brookline, Joseph Winchester & others, 9 bush, corn, 18^ pota- 

toes, 2 fat sheep, 1 cord wood, 48 cabbages, £25. 7. 6| 
" Shrewsbury, Second, 51 bush, rye, 2 corn. 

17. Cambridge, 4 bush, rye, 33| corn, 2 bu. potatoes, 17 loads 

wood, 1 bush, turnips, £31. 4. G| 
" Concord, 87| bush, rye, 31 corn, £11. 4. 6 J 
" Lunenburgh, 2 bush, wheat, 82 rye, 2 corn. 
" Lincoln, 29 1 corn, 19 cords wood, 2 pr. boy's shoes, £1. 15. 5| 
" Dracut, 45^^ bush, rye, £3. 17. 1 

Acton, 38" " " 3^ corn, 32 lbs. pork, £3. 17. 4 

20. A Gent" unknown, £1. 14. 8 
Chilmark, £6. 10. 

Brookline, Rev, Joseph Jackson, £2. 

21. Roxbury, Second, 2 bush, rye, 1 corn, 40 lbs. cheese, 13^ cords 

wood, £15. 12. 
" Roxbury, Third, 18 bush, potatoes, 51 lbs. pork, 5| cords wood, 

72 cabbages, 1 bush, turnips, £20. 4. 7. 
" Brookline, Maj. W". Thom})son, 1 load wood, 2 cwt. rice. 

22. Bolton, 28 bush, rye, 5 corn. 
" Sandwich, £19. 0. 3 

54. Maiden, Rev. Mr. Willis' parish, 2 loads wood, 1 pr. women's 
shoes, 1 ton of hay, £3. 1. 
Maiden, Rev. Mr. Thacher's parish, £9. 13. 
Lancaster, Second parish, 40 bush, rye, 38 corn, 96 lbs. cheese 
£0. 12.0 
25. Sturbridge, 9 bush, corn, 2 bbls. flour, 5 cwt. flour, 3 bush. 

malt, 1 bbl. salt beef, 4 bbls. rye flour, £4. 13 
" Dedham, 47^ cords wood. 
27. Plymptou, £4. 16. 



28. Medway, East parish, 53J lbs. cheese, £7. 2 

" Sturbridge, fr. Nath^ & Josiah Walker, 15 shillings 
" Danvers, North parish, 8 pr. men's shoes, 2 pr. boy's shoes, 
8| yds check, 1 pr. moose-skin breeches, 2 skeins thread, 
£26. 15. 4 
March 6. Nantucket, Rev. Bezal. Shaw's par. £26. 16. 9. 

8. Marblehead, fr. Com"^^ of Inspection, one per cent, on Sales of 
sundry cargoes imported since Dec. 1, 1774, contrary to Re- 
solve of Con. Congress,=£120. 
10. Bradford, 17 prs. men's & 18 prs. women's shoes, £18. 14. 10. 
" Duxbury, 21 cords wood. 

" Roxbury, fr. Maj. Nath\ Ruggles, 1 bbl. salt beef. 
" Boston, fr. Stephen Bruce, 1 bbl. salt beef. 

Gloucester, £117. 0. 4 
13. Eastham, North parish, £7. 16. 

" Brookfield, 30 bush, rye, 14 corn, 224 lbs. cheese, ^ bush, beans. 
15. Plymouth, fr. Nath^ Goodwin, 20 bush. corn. 
" Marshpee, fr. Rev. Gideon Hawley, 18 shillings 
17. Yarmouth (Cape Cod) West par. £5. 6. 8 

20. George Town, First par. £6. 0. 3 

do fr. Capt. W" Rogers, £2. 8. 

" Old Hadley, 8 cwt. rye flour, £2. 13. 4 
" Scituate, 1st par. £5. 6. 8 

21. Hatfield, £12. 15. 3 

22. Plymouth, fr. Com"''^ of Inspection, one per-cent. on sales of 

sundries imported since Dec. 1, 1774, contrary to resolve of 
Con. Congress. =£31. 5. 6^ 
" Brookfield, 2*^ precinct, 12 shillings. 
" Berkley, £8. 1. 7. 
" Bridgewater, East par. 344 lbs. flax, 3 lbs. sheeps' wool, 9 lbs. 

tobacco, 2 iron shovels. 1 foot spinning wheel, £6. 15. 9^ 
" Tisbury, £12. 

Falmouth (Casco Bay) 2'* par. 30|^ cords wood. 
Scituate, South par. £6. 15. 11| 
Gorhamtown, 8| cords wood. 
25. Falmouth (Co. Barnstable), £5. 16 
" Fr. a Gent" unknown, £0. 19. 8 

27. Salem, fr. Com"^* of Inspection as above, £109. 9. 5^ 
" Duxbury, £4. 8. 

" Marlborough, 24 bush, rye, 5^ corn, 80 lbs. cheese, 1 pr. men's 
shoes, l| bush, malt, £32. 18. 2 

29. Dartmouth (Acushnet River), £50. 17. 3 
" Norton, £7. 2. 10. 

April 9. Christian Town (Marthas Vineyard), fr. the Indians, £2:1 

10. Fr. persons unknown (supjDosed to be the Friends Society at 

Nantucket) £90. 9. 

11. Hanover, fr. a lady unknown, £2. 8 

14. Monson, 5 bush, rye, 1 bbl. & 2 cwt. 9 lbs. flour, 17 lbs. tobacco, 

12 lbs. butter, 2 prs. stockings, 8 ewt. 1 qr. 14 lbs. rye flour 
" Sherburne, 2 bush, potatoes 
" Shrewsbury, 1 bush rye. 



1776 
March Weston, £13. 7. 11 

1777 
Jau. 28. Brirafiekl, £9. 0. 4 
Mar. 15. Newton, £22. 16. 6 

" Boston (Sarah Hutchinson 12s.; Ellis Gray, Esq., 13s. 4d.), 
£1. 5. 4. 
July Stockbridge, £9. 

Woodbury, 1st Soc. £8. 8. 4. 

Boston, (Nathaniel Peirce, 10 cords wood @ 36s. is £18 ; Jona- 
than Amory, 1 hh*^ Sugar, 13 cwt. 3 qurs. 23 lbs. Net, @ £8 
per cwt. is £111. 12. 10; Sara^ Blodgett 35 bushels Indian 
meal @ 5s. is £8. 15.) £138. 7. 10 
Dec. 17. Sandisfield, fr. Matthew Williams, £1. 4. 
Arundel, £21. 8. 8| 

A Summary of DONATIONS received by the Committke appointed by the Town of 
BOSTON, to receive the Generous Benefactions of the SISTER COLONIES, for 
the Relief and Support of the Inhabitants of the Towns of Boston and Charles- 
town Suffering by the Operation of that Cruel Act of the British PARLIA- 
MENT commonly called the BOSTON PORT BILL. 

Massachusetts Bat. — 10^ bush, wheat; 833 bush, rye; 399f corn; 5 
bbls. 11 cwt. 9 lbs. com. flour ; 13^ bush, malt ; 224 lbs. rice; ^ bush, 
beans; 173 sheep; 6 oxen; 23 hogs; 111 qurs. mutton; 8 bbls. 16 
cwt. 1 qur. 14 lbs. rye flour; 283 lbs. pork; 3 bbls. 1087 lbs. beef; 
228 quint, fish ; 53 galls, oil ; 12 lbs. butter ; 1199^ lbs. cheese ; 366^ 
cords & 1 65 cart loads of wood ; 453 lbs. flax ; 3 lbs sheeps wool ; 1 
ton hay ; 2G lbs. tobacco ; 29 pr. men's, 19 women's, & 6 boy's shoes ; 2 
prs. stockings ; 14G^ bush, potatoes ; 120 cabbages; 2 bush, turnips; 
10 lbs. balm ; 10 lbs. sage ; | lb. pink flowers ; 8^ yds. check ; 1 check 
handkerchief; 1 pr. moose-skin breeches ; 1 foot spinning wheel ; 2 
iron shovels, and cash £2213. 8. 0^ 

Connecticut. — 448| bush, wheat; 5108| rye; 1051| corn; 85 bush, 
ship stuffs ; 2 bbls. 4 cwt. com. flour ; 16 bush, beans ; 10 bush, beans ; 
1841 sheep; "83 oxen, including a cow;" 15| bbls. 27 cwt. 14 lbs. 
rye flour; 5 bbls. pork; 1 bbl. beef; 540 lbs. cheese; 8 pr. men's, 

1 women's, 2 prs. children's shoes; and cash £251. 4. 5. 
Pennsylvania. — 105 bbls. and 249 cwt. 2 qrs. 18 lbs. ship stufEs ; 36 

bbls. and 68 cwt. 3 qrs. 15 lbs. superfine, and 1035 bbls. 2122 cwt. 15 

lbs. com. flour ; 2 bbls. 2 cwt. 21 lbs. ship bread ; 107 bbls. 215 cwt. 3 

qrs. 27 lbs. rye flour ; 3 tons nail rod iron ; 3 tons bar iron ; and 

cash, £435. 17. 18. 
South Caroli^ta. — 712^ casks & 370,463 lbs. rice, and cash, £1403. 

12. 3^. Of the rice 580 casks & 259,814 lbs. were sold in New- York, 

realizing £1304. 19. Of. 
Maryland. — 235 bushs. rye; 9329| bush, corn ; 57 bbls. & 114 cwt. com. 

flour; 21 bbls. 26 cwt. 1 qr. ship-bread; 20 bbls. 35 cwt. rye flour; 

2 bbls. pork ; and £245. '' 

North Carolina. — 2296^ bush, corn; 34 bbls. 68 cwt. com. flour; 10 
casks *& 5,300 lbs. rice ; 1 hogshead & 10 bush, peas ; 1 hogshead, 61 
bbls. 80 cwt. ship-bread ; 147 bbls. pork, and £1. 13. 6. 

New-Hampshire. — 30 bush, peas; 174 sheep; 15 oxen; and cash 
£370. 14. 10. 



Virginia. — 4011 bush, wheat ; 4595i bush, com ; 27 bbls. & 54 cwt. ship 

stuff; 197 bbls. & 394 cwt. com. flour; 119| bush, peas; 54 bbls. 67 

cwt. & 2 qurs. ship bread ; 30 bbls. pork; 6 firkins & 360 lbs butter; 

and cash £447. 5. 10. 
Canada. — 1056^ bush, wheat ; 2 bbls. 4 cwt. com. flour ; and cash £100. 4. 
Rhode Island. — 825 sheep ; 13 oxen ; 1 pr. men's shoes ; and cash 

£363. 5. 3i 
New Jersey. — 1140 bush, rye; 50 bbls. 87 cwt. 2 qrs. rye flour; and 

cash £594. 6. 2 
New York. — 44 bush, wheat, and 6 of rye ; 394 bbls. & 714 cwt. 3 qrs. 

2 lbs. com. flour ; 5 hogsheads & 30 cwt. Indian meal ; 24 tierces & 50 

cwt. 2 qrs. 3 lbs. ship bread ; 22 bbls. 34 cwt. 3 qrs. 9 lbs. rye flour ; 

1 O.J bbls. pork ; 28 firkins & 1669 lbs. butter; 1 pipe & 123 galls. 

brandy ; 3 tons nail rod iron ; 1 ton bar iron. 
Georgia. — Nett proceeds of sale in New York of 63 casks of rice=cash, 

£162. 0. 3|. 
Islands in West Indies. — 2 cwt. 2 qrs. cocoa, and cash, £22. 16. 
Island of Great Britain. — £154. 6. 8. 

Totals .-—Wheat, 5570| bushels. 
Rye, 7322| 
Corn, 17,673| " 

Ship-Stuffs, 85 "132 bbls. 303 cwt. 2 qrs. 18 lbs. 
Flour, 1762 bbls. 3499 cwt. 6 qrs. 41 lbs. 
Indian Meal, 5 hlids. 30 cwt. 
Malt, 13^ bushels. 
Rice, 722i casks, 375,987 lbs. 
Beans, 16| bushels. 
Peas, 1 hlid. 169 J bushels. 

Ship Bread, 1 hhd. 24 tierces, 138 bbls., 226 cwt. 1 qr. 24 lbs. 
Sheep, 3013. 
Oxen, 117. 
Hogs, 23. 
Mutton, 111 qrs. 

Rye Flour, 222i bbls. 416 cwt. 3 qrs. 8 lbs. 
Pork, 194^bbls'^&283 1bs. 
Beef, 4 bbls. & 1087 lbs. 
Fish, 228 quintals. 
Oil, 53 galls. 

Butter, 34 firkins, & 2041 lbs. 
Cheese, 17 39 J lbs. 
Wood, 366| cords. 

" 165 cart loads. 
Flax, 453 lbs. 
Sheeps Wool, 3 lbs. 
Hay, 1 ton. 
Tobacco, 26 lbs. 
Brandy, 1 pipe, & 123 galls. 
Shoes, men's 38 prs. ; women's 20 ; children's 8. 
Stockings, 2 pairs. 
Potatoes, 146^ bush. 
Cabbages, 120. 



10 

Turnips, 2 bush. 
Balm, 10 lbs. 
Sage, 10 lbs. 
Pink Flowers, ^ lb. 
Check, 8^ yrds. 
Check Hdkfs. 1. 
Mooseskin Breeches, 1 pr. 
Foot Spinning Wheels, 1. 
Iron Shoves, 2. 
Nailrod Iron, 6 tons. 
Bar Iron, 4 tons. 
Cocoa, 2 cwt. 2 qrs. 

Cash: From the Colonies, &c., £6765. 15. 0^ 

A balance received from a committee of the ] 
General Court appointed to take care of 
the donations sent after the town of Bos- j- 
ton was shut up and before the committee j 218. 17. 5 
of donations could meet at Watertown J 
From Hon.John Hancock, rec'd from sundry ^ 

gentlemen while in Congress in 1777 >- 750. 
2500 dollars ) 

£7734. 12. 5i 



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